Speaker: Rachel Roberts (Standard British accent)

It’s almost time for a new year. Is it also time for a new you? For many people, making New Year’s resolutions is an annual tradition. On January 1st, millions of people decide to do something positive in the New Year, like giving up smoking or losing weight. But studies say that about seven in 10 of them give up on their resolutions before the end of January.

OUR LIST

Here are our top 10 tips to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions in 2017:

1

Dedicate some time this month to thinking about the changes you want to make in your life. Then make resolutions that are important to you.

2

Don’t try to make too many changes at one time. Limit yourself to only one or two resolutions. If you make too many resolutions, you will probably get frustrated and give up on all of them!

3

Be specific. Don’t say that you’re going to exercise more or eat a better diet. Instead, plan to exercise for one hour every morning and to eat fruit instead of chocolate.

4

Be prepared to make sacrifices. Most positive changes require time, energy and possibly money. If you want to pay for a private tutor or fitness instructor, for example, you might have to give up going to expensive restaurants.

5

Avoid temptation. If you plan to give up smoking, you might also have to give up spending time with friends who smoke, certainly for the first few weeks. If they’re true friends, they’ll understand.

6

Make a list of your resolutions. Then put it somewhere prominent so that you see it every day. Also, tell other people about your resolutions, so they can help you to keep them.

7

Make a list of your specific objectives, for example, how many kilograms you want to lose by the end of each month. Then monitor and record your progress.

8

Visualize yourself in the future, when you’ve achieved your resolutions. Think about how you look and feel. Experts say that this is a powerful psychological technique.

9

If you don’t succeed in one week, don’t give up! Simply, start again the next week.

10

If you succeed in making progress, reward yourself regularly, for example at the end of every month. And if you do give up, don’t worry. There’s always next year!